District Attorney Larry Krasner Proposing Zoom Court Hearings To Limit Capacity At Courthouse

Alexandria Hoff reports.

IT'S UNCLEAR WHY HE LOSTCONTROL.NO ONE ELSE WAS INJURED.AND CORONAVIRUS INTERRUPTFIGHT FOR JUSTICE WITH A NEEDFOR SOCIAL DISTANCING.COURT OFFICIALS ARE LOOKINGFOR WAYS TO RESUME LEGALPROCEEDINGS IN PHILADELPHIA.OTHER PEOPLE FEAR THERE ISGOING TO BE YOU A BACKLOG.ALEXANDRIA HOF EXPLAINS WHAT'SBEING CONSIDERED INCLUDINGUSING ZOOM.HAVING ONE'S DAY IN COURT.LITERALLY A FEW THOUSANDAND PEOPLE POUR INTO THESINGLE BUILDING AND SIT RIGHTNEXT TO EACH OTHER.IS LIKELY TO LOOK DIFFERENTTHAT IT USED TO.THAT'S NOT GOING TO BEIMMEDIATELY SOMETHING WE CANDO.ONCE THE COURT FULLYREOPENS PHILADELPHIA DISTRICTATTORNEY LARRY KRASNERPREDICTS ASPECTS OF SOCIALDANCING WILL REMAIN.WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVETHE CAPACITY FOR SOME TYPES OFCOURT PROCEEDINGS TO BE DONEIN WAYS THAT INVOLVE THE USEOF TECHNOLOGY.AND FOR THAT HIS OFFICE ISPROPOSING THE CITY COURTSESTABLISH A ZOOM COURT WHEREHEARINGS COULD BE HELDVIRTUALLY THAT'S ACTUALLY WHATI'M DOING NOW.FOR THE COURTS ONCE HE REONSEASON A BACKLOG.THE COURTS ARE CLOSED.ATTORNEYS CAN STILL FILEELECTRONICALLY NEW MATTERS ANDTHEY ARE.SO YOU HAVE A FEW FOR THEM.STANLEY OT SERVED AS ACOMMON PLEASE JUDGE INMONTGOMERY COUNTSY OVER 30YEARS AND PRACTICES AT MANIONPRIOR.IT'S STILL AA LAST RESORTAND IF PEOPLE CAN CANNOT SETDICHSS THE COURTS ARE THERE TOHELP.BURKTS MEDIATION AND ASHSTATION ARE FUTURE.OTT SEIZE ALTERNATIVEDISPUTE RESOLUTION AS AAEFFECTIVE WAY TO SETTLE NONCRIMINAL MATTERS AND SAVECOURT SGLAIS THE FLOW OFARRESTS WILL BE HUGE AND FLOWOF BAIL HEARINGS WILL BE HUGE.DISTRICT ATTORNEY AERPZPOLICE ACTSING ON THE WARRANTSDURING THE PANDEMIC WILL ADDBULK TO THE SYSTEM.BUT HE DO NOT INTEND TODROP CASES JUST BECAUSETHERE'S A BIG CASELOAD.AS FOR THE ZOOM HEARINGS, ASPOKESPERSON FROR THE DISTRICTATTORNEY OFFICE TOLD ME THEAUTHORITY TO ALLOW THE USE OFSUCH TECHNOLOGY DOES LIE WITHTHE COURT.SO IT'S NOT A DECISION FOR HIS